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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Qball with Drop Bars

Here is the latest installment in my bike soap opera called the Continuing Saga of the Qball Cockpit. The flipped over cruiser bars weren't working for me because I found any time I came up out of the saddle to climb my positioning was all off and my pedal strokes felt as if I was wasting energy. Also the cruiser bars, being steel, were just a bit too flexy.

The other day I picked up some Easton drop bars and a 110mm 6 degree stem from Craigslist and tried that out last night but talk about being stretched out! So, I removed the stem and went back to the Profile Designs, 35 degree rise, 135mm stem that I was using originally and it helps but it's not perfect. What I think I need is a 50 or 60 mm stem with as much rise as possible, basically a down hilling stem. The only problem with that is it might put the bars too upfront and might have to try one of those extenders. This is where an 18 or 19 inch frame would be perfect (the Qball is a 20").

Had some Nashbar Handlebar Tape laying around so I taped up the bars so that it would be ready to ride. Just hope the weather holds or there is a break so that I can head out for test ride. Once around the driveway felt weird. While I like to be stretched out on my bikes I fear that I will be too stretched out.

That's why I like those Origin 8 bars because there is no real forward arch, it's more flared out to the side. The cruiser bars did the same thing only much more exaggerated. Both Salsa and WTB make some Cyclocross bars that I might yet try but I doubt I will have those in time for the Hartford Cross Race.